From Vision to Momentum: How Common Good Vermont Strengthens Nonprofit Leaders
As Kianna Bromley works to bring the Montpelier Performing Arts Hub to life, Common Good Vermont is helping her turn a bold idea into a stronger, more sustainable nonprofit.
In 2023, Kianna Bromley founded the nonprofit Montpelier Performing Arts Hub to fill a longstanding gap in central Vermont: a flexible, welcoming home for performing artists and community gathering.
Kianna saw both the talent and the fragmentation in central Vermont’s arts scene. “We have an incredible number of performing artists embedded in the rolling mountains of central Vermont, but many don’t have a permanent home,” she said. “The Arts Hub is designed to be a flexible venue — a home for creativity, connection, and community.”
But building a new nonprofit takes more than vision. Early in her journey, Kianna found one of those support systems through Common Good Vermont, which brings nonprofit leaders together across sectors and is the only statewide organization dedicated to uniting, strengthening, and advocating for Vermont’s nonprofit community.
“One of the pieces I really connected with was hearing Common Good Vermont talk about shared services,” Kianna said. “There can be a lot of scarcity mindset in nonprofits. I feel so much relief knowing there is this entity helping nonprofits work together.”
Soon after, the Arts Hub joined Common Good Vermont’s membership program, opening the door to learning opportunities, statewide connections, and a broader network of support.
Through Common Good Vermont’s Nonprofit Management and Fundraising and Development Certificate Programs, Kianna gained practical tools, clearer priorities, and a stronger network to help move the Arts Hub forward.
As a first-time nonprofit founder, Kianna said one of the biggest challenges was knowing which questions to answer first — and how to turn a big vision into a realistic plan.
“Being part of Common Good’s certificate programs helped me map out the questions we needed to answer and make a plan to move forward,” Kianna said.
One immediate result of that learning was Kianna’s decision to implement a donor management system for the Arts Hub. It’s a critical step as the organization prepares to fundraise for major renovations that will turn the space into a fully equipped performing arts center and community gathering place.
“A strong arts organization and destination can be an economic driver,” Kianna said. “I see the Hub as part of moving Montpelier from survival mode toward thriving after the pandemic and the floods.”
In June 2026, the Arts Hub hosted Common Good Vermont’s first-ever Membership Convening — another sign of the organization’s growing connection to the statewide nonprofit network.
At a time of uncertainty for nonprofits, Kianna believes it is especially important for Vermont organizations to have a unified voice.
“I recommend Common Good Vermont to other nonprofits all the time,” Kianna said. “It’s imperative right now for us to have a single voice and power in the political sphere, and Common Good Vermont is helping lift the whole sector up together.”
Kianna’s story is one example of what Common Good Vermont makes possible: when nonprofit leaders have the tools, connections, and advocacy they need, their organizations — and their communities — are better positioned to thrive.